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Rabble Rouser: The Battle of 1989 to Save the University of Illinois Hospital
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
June 30, 2026
Although hyperlocal (hospitals and medical schools in Chicago in the late 1980s), Dr. John Skosey paints a true, lively, and astonishing history of leading the resistance to the proposed merger of the University of Illinois' hospital and teaching staff, when he was the president of the U of I medical staff, into Cook County and Michael Reese Hospitals.
Anyone who has ever tangled with the seemingly unstoppable forces of institutional momentum will appreciate how Dr. Skosey, per the back cover of his book, "led a determined coalition of physicians, nurses, hospital staff, and community activists to combat the plan" that would have diminished medical care for Chicago's west side residents, especially its poorest. Although a political novice, Skosey relentlessly garnered the attention and respect of everyone from media to Illinois legislators to (especially) key Chicago activists in an effort that was sometimes byzantine in its complexity.
Rabble Rouser is well-paced, with some chapters that read like thrillers and other chapters with cliffhanger endings. Quoting again from the cover, "Their exploits with the University administration, politicians, the press, and the community catapulted them into the risky world of high-stakes politics."
It is worth noting that the second half of the book discusses the several months of repairs and healing required after the merger plan was voted down by the Illinois legislature, particularly when, zombie-like, the merger plan was resurrected for a time.
Highly recommended to those who care about community health, to doctors, and to community, institutional, medical, and business leaders as an important case study of the dynamic effort required to meet the needs of a wide range of constituencies to save health care for Chicago's poorest citizens.
Anyone who has ever tangled with the seemingly unstoppable forces of institutional momentum will appreciate how Dr. Skosey, per the back cover of his book, "led a determined coalition of physicians, nurses, hospital staff, and community activists to combat the plan" that would have diminished medical care for Chicago's west side residents, especially its poorest. Although a political novice, Skosey relentlessly garnered the attention and respect of everyone from media to Illinois legislators to (especially) key Chicago activists in an effort that was sometimes byzantine in its complexity.
Rabble Rouser is well-paced, with some chapters that read like thrillers and other chapters with cliffhanger endings. Quoting again from the cover, "Their exploits with the University administration, politicians, the press, and the community catapulted them into the risky world of high-stakes politics."
It is worth noting that the second half of the book discusses the several months of repairs and healing required after the merger plan was voted down by the Illinois legislature, particularly when, zombie-like, the merger plan was resurrected for a time.
Highly recommended to those who care about community health, to doctors, and to community, institutional, medical, and business leaders as an important case study of the dynamic effort required to meet the needs of a wide range of constituencies to save health care for Chicago's poorest citizens.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review